‘I had to leave Newcastle – but I wanted to join Arsenal not Tottenham | Football | Sport
Former Premier League icon Moussa Sissoko missed out on his dream move from Newcastle United to Arsenal in 2016. The France international ultimately joined the Gunners’ north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a £30million deal on deadline day.
Sissoko had been part of the Newcastle squad that had suffered Premier League relegation but the then-26-year-old did not wish to play for the team in the Championship. Having been a key player as France reached the Euro 2016 final, the midfielder dreamed of playing for a Champions League club. A late deal was then struck between Spurs and Newcastle, who meet on Tuesday. It meant Sissoko fulfilled his ambition with Arsenal’s rivals after ending his summer-long transfer saga.
The ex-Newcastle star had made his feelings clear while on international duty ahead of the Euros. Speaking to Foot Mercato, he said: “It is flattering that a coach like [Benitez], a great coach, wants to keep me. But I think that he is aware. I have reached a level where playing in the Championship would be difficult for me.”
He added: “I want to leave. I would like to continue my career in England, in a club that plays Champions League football.”
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When asked about a potential move to the Gunners, Sissoko continued: “It is very flattering. Arsenal is one of the best European teams. To be watched by that sort of club, that proves that you are a quality player.
“Everyone knows, I often said it when I was young, Arsenal is the club of my heart, because there were quite a few French players there like Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Sylvain Wiltord, Patrick Vieira, who was my idol…
Moussa Sissoko was an important player for France during Euro 2016 (Image: Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)
“The beautiful Arsenal. We will see. I cannot tell you if I am going to go to Arsenal. For the moment, I am focused on the French national team and the Euros.”
Despite making his preference clear, Arsenal opted not to sign Sissoko that summer. Instead, Spurs won a transfer battle with Everton after deciding to match their £30m offer during the last day of the window.
“I went on holiday, and everyone knew I wanted to leave Newcastle to go to a bigger club, play in the Champions League and compete for titles,” Sissoko told FIFA’s official website in October 2016. “Thank God I signed for Tottenham. There were talks that started way before and everything happened in the last few hours.
“I would’ve liked for it to be done quicker. I was able to rest a bit still, but psychologically, it drained me a bit. I like to have a preseason with the team because it’s easier to settle. Arriving at the end of the window isn’t the same, even if I was lucky to be well received and everything went well.”
Sissoko played in a Champions League final at Spurs (Image: Erwin Spek/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Sissoko, who had spent three-and-a-half years at Newcastle, struggled during his first season at Spurs, starting eight of his 25 league appearances. However, more than a year later, the midfielder insisted he had made the right decision.
In October 2017, he told Yahoo Sport: “I said it in the newspaper when I signed, I came to Tottenham because, although I respect Newcastle, for me Tottenham is better than Newcastle and they try to win the title in the league and you have a chance to play in the Champions League. That’s what I wanted.”
Sissoko spent five years with Spurs, making 202 appearances, which included starting the 2019 Champions League final. The 36-year-old recently signed for Panathinaikos, following two stints with Watford and a two-year spell at Nantes.
